After fleeing their home in the once-picturesque Syrian city of Zabadani, the family of eight has lived in Wollongong for just 17 months.

The Altanawi’s life in Wollongong is happy, but bittersweet. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Their journey here was a terrifying one.

Abdullah explains that when the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s armed forces started bombing Zabadani like “rain over the people, over the city and the streets” in early 2012, the family’s lives were shattered.

“Our home was destroyed and I lost everything I collected in my life,” he says.

“Everything I built, I lost it from this war. My three brothers are in prison and I don’t know if they are alive or not.”

The shattered remains of the city of Sabadani, where the Altawani’s used to live. Picture: Michael Alaeddin/RIA NovostiSource:AFP

Like thousands of others who did not support Assad’s regime, Abdullah was thrown into prison and tortured. He spent 45 days in jail but unlike many others, made it out alive.

These disturbing recollections of war-torn Syria stand in great contrast to the ordinary, suburban Australian garden we are sitting in. A motorbike drives noisily past and the two youngest family members, Hassan, 11, and Ahmad, 10, are running around on the grass, laughing and yelling.

Even so, Abdullah says that in years gone by Zabadani — famous for its peach, apple, cherry, white apricot, pear and plum orchards — is not so different from Wollongong.

Brothers Ahmad and Hassan riding bikes in Wollongong. Looking at their smiling faces you couldn’t guess what they’ve gone through to get here. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

With longing, he describes his hometown as “nice, quiet [with plenty of] tourism and people coming for a nice view”.

However, once “the regime starts to use guns and tanks against the people” Abdullah says his family was left with no option but to leave. Noura is in full agreement with her husband.

“Just like any mum, I was very scared for my children,” she says, “We went to Lebanon just for our children. Just for them.”